Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas edits
Through the years, as the distribution of Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas moved from network to network, changes were made in order to accommodate various time constraints. Cuts were made, but in some cases, previously deleted material was added. These alternate edits were used for various television airings and subsequent home video releases. Additionally, after the sale of the Muppets to the Walt Disney Company in 2004, all official releases and broadcasts until 2015 excluded the scenes with Kermit the Frog. Edits 1977 The original edit of the special created in 1977 for airing on CBC. According to The Jim Henson Company, this version did not include Kermit's narration, which was added sometime between the 1978 re-broadcast on HBO, and the ABC broadcast in 1980.A Bit of a Chat podcast with Craig Shemin March 27th, 2018 It is available for viewing at the Paley Center. 1980 A slightly altered version of the special was created for airing on ABC and commercial television; this edit was used for the 1983 VHS release (complete with fadeouts to commercial breaks) as well as the Nickelodeon broadcasts in the 1990s. It is also also available for viewing at the Paley Center. Alterations from the original 1977 edit include: * The addition of Kermit's narration throughout the special. ** Before "The One Bathing Suit" ** After "Ain't No Hole in the Washtub" ** Before the establishing shot of the Town Hall for the talent contest. * Fadeout to commercial after the opening titles. * A couple lines of dialogue are added after Ma hands Gretchen Fox her laundry. * A couple of extra lines of dialogue are added before Emmet sees the guitar in the shop window. * Extra verses are added to "Ain't No Hole in the Washtub." * A few extra lines of dialogue are added to the scene where Emmet and Ma wonder what to give each other for Christmas. * Fadeout to commercial before the talent show. * A short talent show scene is added after Yancy Woodchuck sings "Barbecue." * After Yancy Woodchuck's rendition of "Barbeque", Will Possum says the show is off to a shaky start. * The Mayor's introduction of George and Melissa Rabbit, along with Will Possum saying "Well, It's gonna be a long night" is cut. * An abridged version of "When the River Meets the Sea" is featured. 1996 The special was altered again in the 1990s; this edit was used for the 1996 and 1998 VHS releases, 1999 airings on Odyssey Network, and the 2001 DVD release from Columbia Tri-Star. Alterations from the original 1977 edit include: * Kermit's narration throughout the special is absent * Several lines of dialogue between Emmet and Ma are added after singing "The One Bathing Suit." * Kermit's scene in the restaurant at the end of the special is removed. 2005 Another edit first appeared on the 2005 "Collector's Edition" DVD released by HIT Entertainment. This version restores the original 1977 edit of the special, only all scenes/narration with Kermit the Frog were removed (as the Henson Company sold the rights to Kermit and the Muppets to the Walt Disney Company in 2004). The alternate and extra scenes from the previous variations were included in the disc's "Deleted/Altered Scenes" bonus feature. This version was used for subsequent Henson Company releases into the 2010s. Alterations from the original 1977 edit include: * Kermit's introduction and opening bicycle scene are removed * Kermit's scene in the restaurant at the end of the special is removed 2015 When the special aired on ABC Family in 2015, it was remastered and presented in a cropped widescreen format. It also ran at a 30-frame-rate speed, rather than the original 60-frame-rate. It marked the first official broadcast since 2004 in which Kermit's scenes at the beginning and end were included (though his narration was not restored). A variation of this edit was also used for home video releases starting in 2015 - including the 40th anniversary DVD, and streaming and digital downloads. Alterations from the original 1977 edit for video releases include: * Cropped widescreen format Alterations from the original 1977 edit for television airings include: * Cropped widescreen format * Emmet joking around on the river about knitting more socks to barter more pumpkins to make more pies to buy more wool is removed. * The Riverbottom Nightmare Band's breaking the fruitstand and entering the music store is removed. * "Ain't No Hole In The Washtub" is cut. * The scene where Emmet returns from fixing the fence and Ma and Emmet go to the slide on the river is trimmed. * "When the River Meets the Sea" is cut. (Subsequent airings put it back in) * Will Possum's line of the show getting off to a shaky start, which first appeared in the 1980 edit, is included, but is placed after Carrots the Dancing Horse rather than after Yancy Woodchuck's rendition of "Barbeque." * After the commercial break, during the talent contest, Harrison Fox mentions that "Deedra and Sandra Mole" on "snare drum and piccolo" have just performed. Comparison table Notes *A specially created version of the special, using elements from the various edits of the special, was made by Craig Shemin for screenings held by the Jim Henson Legacy. See also *Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (video) Sources __NOWYSIWYG__ Category:Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas Category:Videographies Category:Deleted Scenes